Sin of Omission
by Madj
Summary: Some things just won't stay buried. Teyla, Ronon, Sheppard Some ShepTeyla COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Sin of Omission

**Summary: **Some things just won't stay buried. Teyla, Ronon, Sheppard (Some Shep/Teyla, of course)

**Spoilers:** Season 2, Trinity

**Rating:** PG-13 for some language and violence

**Disclaimer:** I think we all know that I don't own "Stargate: Atlantis." I'm just playing with them.

**Note: **Thanks to Alli for beta reading this mess. :)

**Note 2: **Yeah, it's a WIP. I think there will be six parts to this. I'm not finished, but I'm close.

**Part One**

The worst moments of your life were always the ones that stuck around. The happy memories occasionally showed up to remind you of a time when your life didn't suck. The bad ones tended to linger, playing like a movie reel over and over to show you what an asshole you were and how every thing that had gone wrong in your life was completely your own fault.

If it was something you would rather forget -- losing your brother as a boy, watching your friends die in Afghanistan, killing your C.O. before a Wraith can finish sucking the life out of him -- you could bet it'd be the special feature playing in your mind every time you let your guard down or your attention wander.

Memories were a bitch.

Sheppard once saw a movie where a guy had his memory erased to get rid of all traces of an ex-girlfriend. The movie hadn't been that bad, but John couldn't help but think that if a crappy relationship was the worst thing you had in your memories, you were damn lucky and should just suck it up.

John had some really horrible memories pretty much on constant replay, but every one of them now took a back seat to the vision before him.

In the dim room, the flashlight on his P90 illuminated the unnaturally still form of his teammate and friend Teyla Emmagen, arms bound behind her. The light showed dried blood and bruising on her face, neck and arms, and her shirt was ripped open in the front.

"Teyla?" he whispered, in case Ronon hadn't been able to take out all the guards.

She didn't answer.

He studied Teyla, finally realizing why her stillness was so unnerving.

She wasn't breathing.

**Two days earlier**

"I'm telling you, she has a thing for me!"

"McKay, _I'm_ telling _you_, she can't stand you," Sheppard said. "Not that I blame her."

"It's chemistry, Colonel," McKay said, smirking. "I'm sorry if you don't understand that, but --"

"Oh, I understand chemistry, all right," Sheppard said. "But you and Malena? Don't have it."

"I suppose you think she's madly in love with _you_, Captain Kirk!" McKay yelped.

Teyla exchanged a glance with Ronon, who rolled his eyes. These two could argue for days, never coming around to a point. Clearly, they both enjoyed it, or they wouldn't have been arguing nonstop since the team stepped through the gate twenty minutes before.

"She hates you both," Ronon said, speeding up to push past Sheppard and McKay. "She tried to climb into my bed last time we were here."

Sheppard and McKay looked back at Teyla. She just shrugged and followed Ronon.

She could hear the argument resuming behind them.

"Is that true?" she asked Ronon quietly. "About Malena?"

"Yeah," he answered, glancing back at Sheppard and McKay. "Found her totally naked in my room."

"You did not ...?"

"Not my type. Why? You jealous?" he grinned wolfishly at her.

Teyla punched him in the arm, hard enough that he winced. Though Atlantis was filled with rumors that the two of them were in a relationship, in truth Ronon reminded her of a cousin she had been close to as a girl. Jace had been as a brother to her, and she was beginning to feel the same way about Ronon. He could irritate her to the point of violence at one moment, and the next he could be the only person who truly understood her. They were both outsiders in Atlantis, but they stayed because they saw in the people from Earth the best chance for defeating the Wraith.

"I do not wish these negotiations to be ruined by you bedding the leader's favorite daughter," she said.

Ronon smirked. "Might get a better deal if I bedded the leader's favorite daughter," he said, jumping aside to avoid her fist this time.

Ronon was a fast learner.

Cirsla was a large, bustling city, located a short distance from the Stargate. Though much of the city was underground, there was enough activity aboveground to make the back of Teyla's neck itch. The place should have been a beacon for the Wraith, yet Councilor Doram claimed the city had not faced attack in decades. The youngest Cirslans thought the Wraith to be scary bedtime stories parents invented simply to frighten them.

It made Teyla antsy.

Dr. McKay believed Cirsla was protected by a shield, a cloak like the 'jumpers had; he theorized that that was the reason the city was built at a distance from the Stargate. If the Wraith came through the Stargate, they would see nothing but a forest. So far the Cirslans had not chosen to reveal their secret to the Atlanteans. Dr. Weir felt that forming a good trading relationship with the people of Cirsla would help to strengthen the trust between the two peoples. She had planned to come to the negotiations herself, but she had become ill at the last minute.

"Ronon!"

Teyla held back a laugh as the small blonde came hurtling down the wide stairs at the end of the path, heading straight for her teammate.

"It seems she missed you," she hissed under her breath, smiling at Malena.

Ronon growled.

Malena somehow managed to stop herself before she crashed into Ronon, skidding to a halt right in front of him before shooting a suspicious look Teyla's way. "Teyla Emmagen," she said stiffly.

Teyla resisted the urge to roll her eyes, something she seemed to do often since coming to Atlantis. "Malena Doram, it is nice to see you again," she said evenly. With a glance at her teammate, she could not help but add, "Ronon has talked of nothing but you since we left Cirsla. Perhaps you two would wish to speak alone?"

Ronon shot her a look of death but allowed a now-beaming Malena to take his arm. "Wonderful!" Malena said. "I have something I must tell you -- privately -- anyway."

"I am sure," Teyla muttered.

"Pardon?"

"I said, I will wait here," Teyla replied quickly. "For Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay. We will meet you at the conference building in a short while."

Malena looked thrilled, Ronon less so.

Teyla managed to hold her laughter until after they reached the top of the steps and headed into the city.

"Where's Ronon?" Sheppard asked, as soon as he and McKay caught up to where Teyla was waiting.

"Malena stole him away," Teyla said, falling into step with her teammates.

John chuckled. "McKay ... what is that phrase? Oh yeah -- I told you so."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Rodney didn't sound very amused. "OK, so I know i nothing /i about women. I admit it!"

Teyla wondered why she had bothered to wait.

Then John turned to her. "Teyla, you got a tape recorder?" he asked, sending her a grin that warmed her from the inside out.

_He is not for you,_ Teyla reminded herself for the thousandth time. _He is your teammate and your leader._

But she had answered her own question. A smile like that was worth waiting for.

The negotiations were going well. Half an hour into their talks, however, Teyla began to worry about Ronon.

Certainly, the meeting was going more smoothly without him around to interfere. It was difficult enough to keep Dr. McKay from offending someone most of the time, but Ronon had a knack for upsetting the delicate balance of a negotiation.

Brutal honesty did not always work well in such situations.

Still, Teyla hoped that Ronon was not off somewhere ruining their negotiations from a distance. He had said Malena wasn't his preferred type of woman, but it was Teyla's experience that men could easily be persuaded to change their minds on such matters.

Councilor Doram had apparently not noticed the absence of his oldest daughter or the fourth member of Sheppard's team, and Teyla hoped he would not notice at all.

A few minutes later, Ronon barged into the conference room, giving the councilor a nod of apology and dropping into the seat next to Teyla. She glanced over at him. His face was completely blank, but there was something wrong. She could feel it.

The meeting continued, but Teyla became more and more distracted by Ronon. He wasn't speaking, or fidgeting as he usually did. He sat completely still, staring at the table.

John had noticed that there was something off about him, too, if the questioning look he gave her was any indication. She just shrugged in response. Ronon Dex was as much a mystery to her as he was to anybody else.

"Maybe we could take a break," John suggested.

"Excellent idea!" Councilor Doram said, clapping his hands together as everyone stood. "I will show you the collection of ancient swords I told you of last time. You seemed eager to view it."

Sheppard glanced at Teyla and Ronon but found himself being pulled out of the conference room by the eager councilor. Dr. McKay muttered something about idiots and sharp objects and followed them.

"Ronon?" Teyla began, grabbing his arm. "Are you unwell?"

He looked around the room suspiciously, then tugged on her arm to get her to follow him. Not speaking a word and ignoring her questions, he led her out of the conference room, outside and into an empty stable across the street from the Meeting Hall.

"What is wrong?" Teyla asked, exasperated.

"Remember Kell?" Ronon eyed the stable as he spoke, as though someone was going to jump out of a stall and attack them.

Kell. How could she forget? She had thought she was doing Ronon a kindness by arranging a meeting between Ronon and his former Task Master. Instead, she had been a party to an assassination. Perhaps a just one, but no matter his crimes, Teyla did not take the man's death lightly.

She sighed. "I remember. What about him?"

Ronon paced the stable. "He had family. A son, just a few years younger than me. He's been here, looking for me."

"He wants to avenge his father." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, and, Teyla ... he was looking for you, too."

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow! Thanks so much for all the reviews, guys. They made my day. :)_

**Part Two**

It took John twenty minutes of ooohing and ahhhing over some old swords before he got away from Councilor Doram. McKay had lasted about five minutes before he made up an excuse to escape, and Sheppard had no idea where he'd gone.

Teyla and Ronon were also nowhere to be found.

Ronon had been acting weird when he finally decided to show up for the negotiations. John didn't blame him for blowing the meeting off; he was only jealous that he couldn't do the same. When Elizabeth had been planning to attend the talks, he had briefly hoped he would get out of it himself, but those hopes were dashed when she got the flu.

He'd tried to convince Carson that as long as she wasn't actually _eating_ anything, she wouldn't be throwing up, but the doctor hadn't gone for it. Elizabeth hadn't seemed too pleased with his plan, either. She'd pretty much immediately disproved his theory about eating and vomiting, though he was sure she hadn't purposely thrown up on him. Mostly sure, anyway.

The talks were supposed to start in another fifteen minutes, and John would be damned if he was going to sit through another hour or two of this by himself.

He wandered outside and scanned the town square. If his teammates were out there, he couldn't see them in the crowd. He started to call them on the radio when he heard a voice in his ear.

"They're across the street."

John turned to see Malena Doram leaning against the side of the Meeting Hall.

"Pardon?"

"Ronon and Teyla," she said. "They're in that stable." She glared at the building across from them.

"All right," he said slowly. What was she so mad about? "Thanks. I'll go check it out."

"I wouldn't," she said sulkily. "I think he wants to be alone with her."

The words hit Sheppard like a sucker punch. Teyla and Ronon? They wouldn't. And even if they did -- which they wouldn't -- they sure as hell would have more sense than to do it during a mission. Wouldn't they?

He'd heard the rumors, sure, but he hadn't given them any credence. Well, not much credence. He'd had enough concern -- professionally, of course -- to casually ask Ronon about it once, and all he'd gotten in response was a snort.

He'd taken that to mean, "No way, Sheppard," but what if he'd really meant, "Hell yeah, Sheppard, of course I'm doing Teyla!"

Well, he wasn't going to stand around all day staring at a building where Teyla and Ronon were _not_ doing anything. Glancing at Malena again, he shrugged and headed for the stable.

He wasn't sure why, exactly, but when he got close to the building he slowed down, stepped more carefully. He wasn't really trying to sneak up on them, catch them at something. He just didn't want to startle them.

OK, he admitted to himself, he was sneaking.

He crept into the stable, trying to remember everything Teyla had taught him about hunting prey. He didn't see anyone in the dim light of the building, but he froze when he heard Teyla's voice.

"We have to tell Colonel Sheppard."

"No."

"He can --"

"You were right the first time, Teyla. We can't tell anyone. They won't understand."

John's stomach dropped. They _were_ involved. They were sleeping together, and they couldn't afford to let anyone at Atlantis know. But why did Teyla want him to know? _He_ didn't even want to know.

"But --"

"What do you think'll happen when Sheppard tells Dr. Weir? Because he will tell her."

Teyla sighed. "If this man comes after you, or after me, John could be injured. Or Rodney. It is not their fight."

"Not yours either."

"No?" Teyla's voice was tight. "I do not believe Kell's son would agree with you."

It finally occured to John that he had no idea what the hell was going on.

"He'll come after me, not you. I'm the one he wants."

"And you are certain of this?" When Teyla got no answer, she continued. "We must at least tell Colonel Sheppard."

John decided it was time to step in. He moved further into the stable, not trying to hide the sound of his approach this time. "Tell me what?"

Another time, he would've been amused by their reactions. Both immediately had pulled weapons and were glaring his direction. They looked like twins. Twins of different sexes and vastly different sizes, but still.

It belatedly occurred to him that surprising the two most deadly members of his team was not necessarily the best plan.

"Colonel." Teyla spoke evenly, her knife vanishing as though it had never existed.

Ronon nodded at him, slowly replacing his gun in the holster. "Sheppard."

"So." John watched as they exchanged a glance and felt anger burning in his gut. "You two better be deciding which one of you is going to tell me what the _hell_ is going on."

After a moment, Teyla looked at Ronon and nodded toward the door.

"But I --" Ronon started, swallowing the rest of this thought at one raised eyebrow from the Athosian. With a sigh that sounded an awful lot like a growl, he stomped out of the stable.

John tried to look casual, leaning against a nearby post. He crossed his arms and stared at Teyla, waiting for her to begin.

Before she could say anything, he heard Rodney's voice over the radio. "Sheppard, it's McKay --" With a frown, he snapped the radio off and continued staring at Teyla. Finally, she spoke.

"A few months ago, Ronon and I went to Belkan to trade while you and Dr. McKay worked on the Ancient generator on Doranda, do you recall?"

He did recall. He remembered that neither one had much to say about the trip, other than that Teyla had succeeded in getting the seed she wanted. "Yeah, I think McKay was blowing up a solar system at the time, so ... yeah, kind of stuck in my memory."

"Right." Teyla took a deep breath. She looked nervous, and she wasn't meeting his eyes, which was making _him_ nervous. Teyla was always straightforward with him, and if she was avoiding looking him in the eye, it couldn't be good.

Of course, sneaking around with Ronon and keeping secrets? Not so good, either.

Teyla finally raised her eyes from the floor and met his gaze. The look on her face worried him even more. "When we were on Belkan, Ronon killed a man."

It took a moment for the words to register. He pushed away from the post and stepped in front of her. "And I'm just hearing about this now ... why?"

"We thought ... _I_ thought it was better to keep it to ourselves," she said, avoiding his eyes again. "The man ... Kell ... he was responsible for manydeaths on Sateda, all so he could escape the Wraith himself."

John felt the anger burning up inside him, but he felt ice cold. She didn't trust him. After all this time, everything they had been through together, he still hadn't proved worthy of her trust.

"You didn't think you could tell me? You don't trust me." He tried to make his voice even, totally calm, but by the look of alarm on her face, he failed miserably.

"You would have had to tell Dr. Weir. Report it to your leaders. They would not understand," she said quickly.

It didn't escape him that she hadn't really answered his question.

"Maybe you underestimate them," he said. _Maybe you underestimate me,_ he thought.

Teyla laughed, a short, harsh sound that he'd never heard from her before. "Your people ... they judge us by their own standards. Because we do not have the technology they do, they look down upon us. They believe us to be ignorant. They know _nothing_ of what our lives are like, plagued by the Wraith."

She was shaking now, and John wondered how long she had wanted to say these things -- to him, to anybody. "When we first came to Atlantis, and the Wraith attacked us so often, we were the first to be suspected! Anyone who understood our lives would have known we would never collaborate with the Wraith! And yet it was I who was put under guard by your soldiers."

"And I defended you!" he yelled, deciding not to point out that she _had_ been the one giving their position away, albeit unknowingly. "I _always_ defended you. I always trusted you.Why don't you trust me?"

"I --" she looked surprised. "I trust you, Colonel. I do. I simply did not wish for the others to find out."

"And you assumed I'd tell."

"It is your job," she pointed out. "And Dr. Weir would not want Ronon on your team if she knew."

"Yeah, I wonder why that is," he said, finally processing what they were arguing about. He felt a surge of anger at Ronon for getting Teyla involved in his personal vendetta. "We kind of frown on killing people in cold blood where I come from. Even war criminals get a trial there."

"Who would try him?" Teyla asked, shrugging. "This is not your earth, Colonel. It is time you -- all of you -- learned to accept that things are different here."

"Murder is pretty much murder, anywhere you go," he said, stubbornly. He'd done his share of killing, but that was war. This was ... something else.

Teyla was silent.

"You can honestly tell me you agree with what he did?"

"I ... do not know," she admitted. "But if someone caused thousands of my people to die to save himself, I might have done the same thing."

"I don't believe that."

"Perhaps you do not know me as well as you think," she said softly, pushing past him. "But I know you. I knew you would not understand."

"Teyla --" he turned around, but she was gone.

Ronon was waiting for John as he emerged after a few minutes of pacing the stable and cursing to himself. Or at himself.

"I really don't want to see you right now," he told Ronon, walking right by him.

"Sheppard --"

John stopped and turned, pointing at Ronon. "Not. Right. Now. Go ... find Teyla, make sure she's OK. Meet us back at Atlantis."

After a moment, Ronon nodded and took off down the street. John sighed and headed for the Meeting Hall. It looked like he _was_ going to spend the next hour or two in the negotiations by himself.

He entered the building, nodding to a few people wandering the halls, and pulled open the meeting room door. "I'm so sorry I'm late --" he began.

"Quite all right, quite all right," Councilor Doram said heartily. "Your Dr. McKay here was just showing us your ... what were they called? Radios? We have something similar ourselves, but yours are so compact!"

"I was just explaining to the Councilor how radios work," Rodney said, glaring at Sheppard. "And how they _don't_ work if someone, say, turns theirs off."

Sheppard stared at McKay, sitting alone among the Cirslans, trying to make the negotiations work. He felt a rush of gratitude. At least he had one teammate he could count on.

"I'm really sorry Rodney," he said sincerely, obviously confusing the poor guy. "It won't happen again. He looked at Councilor Doram. "So ... maybe some radio technology should be included in the negotiations?"

tbc See, not a big cliffhanger. THIS time. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer and notes in part one.

**Part Three**

Teyla wandered down the path toward the Stargate, lost in her own thoughts.

She could not believe the words that had come from her own mouth while arguing with John. It was unlike her to hold on to past grievances, yet once she had spoken the words, she could not deny that the feelings were there. She had told herself that the bitterness she had felt when her people were first accused was in the past.

She had lied.

For the most part, the people of earth had been good to her and the other Athosians. Teyla felt sure that they were the best hope for defeating the Wraith, which is why she had left her people to join with them in the first place.

A part of her still longed to be with her people, but now when she visited the mainland, there was a part of her that missed Atlantis and its residents. She felt divided, split into two women, and she did not fit entirely well in either place. Only with her teammates did she truly feel comfortable anymore.

_"Why don't you trust me?"_ She could hear John's voice in her mind; he had sounded so hurt.

The truth was that she trusted him more than anyone else in Atlantis; she trusted him as much as her own people. She had only meant to spare him.

Earth's military knew John had a history of disobeying orders, and such things were not unheard of even now. But disobeying orders and being untruthful were two very different things. John had great affection and respect for Dr. Weir; some seemed to think they were romantically involved, but Teyla did not agree. Still, they were close, and Teyla had not wanted to put him in a position to lie to Dr. Weir.

She admitted to herself that she had lost some perspective about John Sheppard. In fact, the longer she knew him, the more she identified with him. Wanted to support him, fight alongside him, protect him. Be protected _by_ him. She wanted things that were impossible, things that were against the rules of his military and her own common sense.

She could clearly remember the moment when he became more than just an interesting and handsome entertainment.

He came onto a Wraith hive ship to rescue his people ... and hers.

It was unheard of among her people, except in legends of heroes too fantastic to have ever truly existed. But John had done it. And many of them had survived. He had had her trust from that very moment, and her admiration for him continued to grow.

Teyla saw the Stargate in the distance but slowed her walk. Running away would solve nothing, and she wanted to make sure John knew that he _did_ have her trust.

Even if she might never have his again.

She was turning to return to town when she realized her mistake. As she had been worrying about her problems, she had ignored the small sounds around her that would have told her she was not alone. Her father had taught her to always be aware of her surroundings, but she had allowed herself to become distracted.

She had also forgotten the possiblity that she could be in danger.

Several men appeared around her, and she reached for her P90 before remembering that she had come without it this time as a sign of friendship toward the Cirslans. Ronon had refused to leave Atlantis without his beloved gun, and now Teyla was seeing the wisdom in his stubbornness. He probably would not have been caught unaware, either.

Teyla pulled out her knife, realizing the futility when all five men pointed guns at her. Still, they would not take her without a fight.

Teyla considered which one to attack first. They were all dressed in normal clothing, and nothing seemed to signal which was the leader. But while four of the men held weapons like shotguns, the man in front of her held a small pistol. "What do you want?" she hissed.

None of them answered, but the man in front of her pulled the trigger on his gun.

Teyla heard no gunshot, only a faint hissing sound. She felt nothing and glanced down at herself to see if she had been hit. She stood there for a moment, stupidly staring at her torso before she felt the sting in her right arm. Slowly, so slowly, she shifted her eyes to the dart sticking out of her arm. She tried to grab it, yank it out, but her body did not seem to be following her commands. One of the men snatched the knife out of her hand. She tried to look at him, see his face, but all she saw was darkness.

"Sheppard!" Ronon burst into the meeting room, jerking John's attention away from Councilor Doram. "They took Teyla. We have to go after her."

"What is the meaning of this?" the councilor asked. "We have done nothing to ..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sheppard interrupted, standing up. Ronon was the last person he felt like talking to at the moment. He focused on the key information. "Took Teyla where?"

"Not sure," Ronon said, glancing at the councilor. "Have you heard of a world called Belsa?"

The councilor shook his head. "I have not. Who is in this Belsa?"

"My question exactly," Sheppard said. "Care to fill us in?"

"Enemies of mine," Ronon spoke to the councilor, with a brief glance at Sheppard and McKay. "They were in Cirsla looking for me yesterday. They took Teyla."

Sheppard had a bad feeling about this. "Friends of this Kell guy?"

Ronon shrugged. "Family. I thought Teyla told you."

_Great. Just great._ "Must have slipped her mind."

"If Teyla is gone, how do you know who took her?" McKay asked impatiently. "I mean, she could've gone back to Atlantis or gone for a walk. And who is Kell? Is anybody going to tell me what's going on?"

John took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to calm himself. "Councilor, I'm afraid we're going to have to cut this meeting short."

"Of course," Councilor Doram said, nodding. "Perhaps you would require assistance from some of my men? I have a few who are quite skilled trackers."

Sheppard glanced at Ronon, who shook his head slightly.

"That's a generous offer," he said. "I think we've got it covered for now, but if we run into any problems, we'll let you know."

After a few more niceties, the Atlanteans were on their way, Sheppard and McKay following Ronon out of the city.

As they walked, John filled Rodney in on the situation.

"So, wait. You _killed_ a guy?" McKay asked incredulously. "You just shot him dead? No fight or anything?"

"McKay," Sheppard warned as Ronon shot a glare back at the scientist.

"Where we come from, that's a little thing called murder," McKay continued as if John had never spoken.

"_Rodney_," Sheppard said, exasperated. "We don't have time for this now. This guy has Teyla."

Rodney confined himself to some muttering under his breath, which was the most John figured he could hope for. It allowed him to tune out the words and focus on what he'd been pushing away since Ronon busted up their meeting.

Teyla was missing.

He stared at the ground as he walked, allowing Dex and McKay to outpace him. It burned that the last words he'd exchanged with Teyla had been in anger. In some ways, Teyla was the one in Atlantis that he depended on the most. The others -- Elizabeth, Rodney, Carson, even Ronon -- he knew theywould back him up no matter what. If he hadn't known it before he turned into a giant bug -- and he shuddered at the memory as usual -- he knew it now. They were a little like a family. An extremely dysfunctional family, for sure, but a family still.

But Teyla ... there was just something about her that struck him as familiar and exotic at the same time. He wasn't one to believe in destiny, other than that which you made for yourself, but the connection that he'd made with Teyla in that cave on Athos felt so _right_, like it was meant to happen. Something inside him had told him that he could trust her, that he could let her know _him_ in a way he usually avoided. He could let her know the true John Sheppard, and she would support him.

Before that moment, clipping a necklace around her neck, he'd just thought she was hot.

_"I knew you would not understand."_

It seemed she did know the true John Sheppard. He didn't understand.

Lost in his thoughts, John didn't realize the others had stopped until he ran into Rodney.

"What the -- are you trying to kill me, Sheppard?" McKay groused. "I think you might have dislocated my shoulder."

"Your shoulder's fine," he said. "Ronon?"

"This is the place," Ronon replied, staring at the ground.

John and Rodney exchanged glances, the scientist frowning and rubbing his shoulder.

"And?" Sheppard asked. "You can tell that, how?"

Ronon glanced at him, then pointed at the ground. John saw some dirt, foilage, a little grass.

"I repeat: And?"

"She was surrounded. Four or five men. I'd say they drugged her."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "And how can you tell they drugged her?"

"No blood."

Sheppard studied the ground again. He could vaguely see what might be footprints, but that was it. But he saw that Dex was right. There was no blood. And Teyla would most certainly have put up a hell of a fight if she could have. Something in his stomach eased a little bit. They wouldn't have bothered to kidnap her if they didn't want to use her for leverage. She was alive. Now they just had to get her back.

"You sure it was this kid -- what was his name?"

"Galen Kell." Ronon pulled a knife from somewhere and presented it, handle first, to Sheppard. "This was left on the ground. One of his father's knives. Had them specially made, with his initials on the handle."

John rubbed his thumb over the engraving on the handle, passing the knife to McKay.

"Where do we find her?"

"Belsa," Ronon said. "It's where Kell lived."

McKay handed the knife back. "And how will we find this place? The DHD doesn't exactly have a redial."

John remembered Ronon asking the councilor about Belsa. "You don't know the address," he said flatly.

"I know someone who does."

"Someone you can trust?"

Ronon shrugged. "Enough."

Sheppard stared at the ground again, picturing Teyla fighting off four or five men. They had to do whatever it took to get her back.

"OK, here's the plan. McKay, go dial Atlantis; we're going home. Ronon, you find out that address and meet us back at the city." Sheppard waited until McKay got out of earshot, then spoke in a low tone. "We find Teyla, we bring her home. Elizabeth never hears about Kell. I want you out. You develop a sudden desire to see the galaxy on your own. Understood?"

Ronon nodded.

Sheppard could feel him staring as he walked past the Satedan and through the Stargate. A small voice in his head told him that he was being too hard on Ronon, but he ruthlessly squashed it and never looked back.

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the delay! The holidays just put me behind. The story is actually done, except for being beta read and having the changes made. So ... two more parts and an epilogue to go after this. _

**Part Four**

Cold.

She was cold, and her left arm felt strange.

Teyla opened her eyes, and immediately shut them again. The room's light wasn't that bright, but it still sent a sharp spike through her head.

She kept perfectly still, remembering what happened with the men in Cirsla. She performed a quick inventory. Massive headache, queasy stomach, sore right arm. She had been dropped onto her left side, cutting off the circulation to her arm. But nothing felt broken, just cold.

Then again, she had not yet dared to move.

Slowly, without opening her eyes, she shifted her left arm to the side, rolling smoothly onto her back. So far, so good. Her left arm started to tingle as feeling returned to it, and Teyla began shifting her legs slightly. Nothing seemed to be injured.

After a few deep breaths, she tried again to open her eyes. Her head still hurt, but it wasn't quite as sore as before. Still controlling her breathing, she looked around without moving her head. She was in a small room of stone. A set of shelves along one wall was empty, and a stand nearby held the lamp that lit the room.

Cautiously, Teyla turned her head to see the rest of the room. Her stomach rebelled a little, but a few deep breaths helped keep the nausea under control. There was little else to see in the room other than the door, which she could not examine from the cot she was sprawled on.

Ignoring her headache and queasy stomach, Teyla pushed herself into a sitting position. Before she could get to her feet, the door opened and a man came in.

He was tall and wiry, perhaps in his twenties, with brown hair that fell onto his angular face. He glanced around the room and then behind himself before closing the door and leaning on it.

"You're Teyla Emmagen."

She started to nod, then winced at the pain. "I am." She studied him a moment. "You are the son of Kell."

He looked surprised but nodded. "Galen Kell."

As he continued to stare at her, she wondered what she was supposed to say. _Nice to meet you? _

"You ... did you kill him? My father?"

"I did not kill your father," she said.

"But you were there."

"Yes," she answered, leaving it at that. He obviously knew about Ronon, or he would not have been asking for him in Cirsla, but Teyla would tell him nothing more. She tried the lecturing voice that she used on Athosian children -- as well as her own teammates sometimes. "Galen, you should not have taken me. My friends will come for me, and you could be injured or killed when that happens. Perhaps if you let me --"

"Ssshhhh!" Galen held up a hand and moved away from the door. "We don't have time --"

The door burst open, revealing a tall brunette wearing black pants and a scarlet tunic. Her hair was clipped back in a low ponytail, emphasizing the sharpness of her thin face and features. She bore a slight resemblance to Galen, but Teyla thought she looked a bit like an animal her people once hunted on Athos. The woman, flanked by two large, well-armed men, smirked at Teyla. Her mocking smile immediately twisted into a scowl as soon she saw Teyla's visitor.

"What are you doing here, Galen?" The smile returned. "Ohhhh, have you come to rescue the captive? Think again, brother."

"It wasn't her, Lee," Galen said quietly. "You know it wasn't. It was --"

"Ronon," the woman interrupted. "Oh, yes, I know it was Ronon. And don't think I didn't know you were on Cirsla, trying to warn him."

"I was only --"

"You were **only** doing what I allowed you to," she snapped, stepping toward Teyla. "Don't forget who runs things around here, Galen. I could have been angry that you were going behind my back to warn Ronon, but instead, I used it to my advantage. Just as father would have done. At least one of his children isn't a disappointment to him."

She laughed as her brother winced, then nodded at one of her bodyguards. "Take him to the house. And, brother? Don't leave the house unless I tell you. I suspect we'll have visitors soon, and I would hate for you to get hurt."

Galen shrugged off the guard but headed for the door, casting a regretful look back at Teyla. The guard followed him out, and the second man closed the door behind him.

Teyla sat up as straight as possible and met the woman's gaze steadily, despite her pounding head. Clearly she and Ronon had been mistaken about a few things. This woman seemed to have planned things perfectly to trap Ronon. Teyla knew he would come. And he would no doubt be accompanied by John and probably Rodney. She wasn't about to sit around and wait for rescue, though.

"I," the woman said importantly, "am Analee Kell, daughter of Avalair Kell, the man you killed. I realize you didn't pull the trigger, but you are just as responsible for his death as that bastard Ronon."

She started to pace the room, twisting her hands together. "He was like a son to my father. More a son than Galen ever was. He could have been family; father would have given him anything, even me for a wife. Instead, what has he become?"

As Analee ranted, striding back and forth in the small space, Teyla watched the guard watch his boss. He ran a large hand over his grubby beard, and his small eyes drifted down her body, lingering at her breasts before focusing on her hips. Teyla wanted to laugh. This bodyguard was certainly enamored of the body he was supposed to be guarding. The prisoner, however, was left unwatched -- with unbound hands.

Teyla waited until Analee had turned her back, then pushed off the cot and rammed a fist into the guard's crotch. His eyes bugged out and he bent over, close enough for Teyla to kick him in the face. Another kick sent him flying into the wall, before he slumped to the floor. She spun to take out Analee, gasping as she felt another dart hit her in the neck.

"Fool," Analee snarled, punching Teyla just before she blacked out.

Lying to Elizabeth sucked.

John sat at the conference room table, trying to ignore the faces that Rodney was making. He'd only told Elizabeth that an enemy from Ronon's past had heard the Satedan was alive and had grabbed Teyla to use as bait. He conveniently left out the whole murdering-in-cold-blood aspect to the story. Elizabeth would no doubt want to question Ronon about it, and it would slow them down at the very least. At the worst, she'd send Ronon away from Atlantis before they could bring Teyla back.

He was starting to see Teyla's point in keeping this from him. Ignorance was bliss. Or, at least, it was much less complicated.

Elizabeth, who probably should still be in bed, was instead pacing the room. She stopped and rested her hands on the back of a chair. "Okay, Lorne's team will take over the Cirslan talks. We have at least two other teams set to gate out today; we can postpone their missions until we find Teyla. Did Ronon say how long it would take to find the address?"

John shifted in his seat. "He didn't think it'd take long. Look, Elizabeth, I think it would be better if Ronon and I went alone."

Rodney cleared his throat.

John ignored him. "This guy who has Teyla is just after Ronon; they're going to be expecting him to show up. We'd have a better chance at surprising them if it's just the two of us."

"Three," Rodney piped up. "I'm going, too."

"Rodney, you're --"

"Going," Rodney said, giving him a look that spoke volumes. Volumes along the lines of _Unless you want me to tell Elizabeth everything, you'll agree with me._ "Teyla's my teammate, too."

"It's a covert op," John argued weakly, knowing he was going to cave.

"I can be covert," Rodney said.

"Yeah, covert like a 12-piece marching band."

"Gentlemen!" Elizabeth leaned forward on the table. She looked pale; John hoped she wasn't going to throw up on him again. "I still think a couple of teams as backup ..."

"Really, just the ... three of us will be enough," John said, glancing at Rodney. "And should you even be out of bed?"

"You are looking a little tired," Rodney said, putting on an innocent face at John's look. "What? That's basically what you just told her. We're just concerned about your health, Elizabeth."

Dr. Weir sighed. "If you're sure this is the way you want it."

"We'll have Teyla back by the time you're back on your feet," John said, hoping he was telling the truth. "All we need is the address, and Ronon will be back with that soon."

As if by magic, the gate started to dial. It was Ronon, and John could tell he'd gotten the Belsan address. He ran down the steps, followed by Rodney and Elizabeth.

"Got it," Ronon confirmed, waving a scrap of paper.

"Great. Let's gear up. Rodney?"

"I'm coming," the scientist said impatiently. "Do I have to write it on my forehead?"

"It'd be kind of funny if you did."

Ronon shook his head, then focused on Dr. Weir. "You all right?" he asked.

She sighed, irritated. "Okay, fine, I'm sick. I look horrible. I'm going to bed. Wake me when you get Teyla back."

As she walked away, Ronon looked confused. "What'd I say?"

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Part Five**

Teyla woke again to the cold, this time accompanied by a _tap-tap-tap._

She opened her eyes slowly, remembering the pain of the previous time, but if anything she felt better than she had before. She focused on the ground, where a booted foot was impatiently tapping.

"Finally," Analee huffed. "I only gave you a quarter dose; I thought you were never going to wake up."

Teyla bit back a groan as she tried to push herself into a sitting position. This time, unfortunately, they'd been smart enough to tie her hands behind her. The guard standing by Analee was the same one Teyla had knocked out earlier, and he did not look happy to see her awake.

"Ronon should be here for his whore anytime. I'm surprised he's not here already." Analee smirked at Teyla. "Either he's not as smart as he used to be, or he doesn't care what happens to you."

Teyla said nothing but began to shift her wrists slightly, trying to find a weakness in the bindings. She knew they would be coming for her, but she would prefer to meet them at the door.

Analee grew tired of waiting for a response. She stepped forward and drew a gentle hand down the side of Teyla's face. Teyla kept her expression impassive, even as Analee's hand tightened painfully on her chin. "Ven," Analee said. "I think we need to pretty this one up for her lover."

The guard looked pleased.

Analee squeezed Teyla's chin even harder before releasing her and turning to Ven. "I have to make sure the men are prepared. You only have a few minutes, so use them well."

Teyla tried to stay calm as the big man stepped in front of her. She focused on trying to free her hands instead of the leer that crossed his face. She could not prevent a gasp, though, when he reached for her neckline and ripped her shirt open in the front.

Before he could do anything more, Analee stepped in and shoved the man. "You idiot! I said you had only a few minutes. Just knock her around a little. Like she did to you. Or do I have to do everything around here?"

"I was just --" Ven stuttered.

"If you're a good boy and don't get yourself killed," Analee said sweetly, like she was talking to a pet, "I'll think about letting you have her once Ronon is dead."

With that charming promise, she swept out of the room.

As soon as she was gone, Ven trailed a sweaty hand down Teyla's chest where he'd ripped the shirt, laughing as she tried to pull away. "You and me, we're gonna have fun," he said.

He backhanded her, knocking her to the floor. She tried to protect herself, but with her hands bound behind her, she couldn't do anything to block the kick at her ribs or one to her stomach.

"Owe you a few'a those," he said viciously, kicking her in the stomach again.

Teyla took a few deep breaths, constantly working at her bindings, forcing a small smile.

Ven stared at her. "What're you smiling for?" he asked, offended.

"I am just thinking," Teyla got out, "of how I am going to kill you."

Ven snarled and aimed a kick at her head this time.

_Perhaps,_ Teyla thought dimly as her vision grayed, _making him angry was not the best plan._

"This is stupid," John hissed, eyes darting around the pub. "The guy was a trader. **Somebody** knows where he lived. We should just ask."

"Not very **covert** of you," Rodney observed as Ronon glared at both of them.

They had been at the pub in the center of Belsa for hours now, wasting time, as far as John was concerned. The Kell family might still be in the trading business, but they didn't have a normal shop in town, and the few people Sheppard had asked about them had refused to answer. Ronon thought they could simply hang around and maybe overhear something helpful, but Sheppard didn't see any chances of that happening.

Every second they spent here staring into their ale was a second that jerk had Teyla. God knows what they were doing to her, but Sheppard intended to put a stop to it.

"We should just ask," John repeated.

"It'll draw too much attention."

"Oh, like three strangers sitting here half the day pretending to drink this stuff isn't conspicuous," Rodney said, waving his mug around. He looked at the old man at the next table, who was staring him. "Hi. Yeah, we don't know you."

"Rodney," John warned quietly, although his heart wasn't in it. "Okay, seriously? We need to do something, because we're not remotely blending in here. Sitting around waiting ... it's not your style, Ronon."

Ronon sighed. "Teyla's only in this situation because of 'my style'. I don't want to put her in more danger. It'll be easier to get her out if we surprise them."

"So, sitting here all day, letting them do -- whatever -- to her is better?" John asked. He didn't really want to think about "whatever" might be.

Ronon sighed. "Maybe not. I just -- I haven't had to worry about anyone else ... for a long time."

John realized with a start that Ronon was worried, **really** worried about Teyla. He was so stoic that it was hard to tell what he was thinking. For years, the Satedan had only had to keep himself safe, and now he'd endangered someone he considered a friend.

Or maybe more than a friend.

John sighed, refusing to let that train of thought enter his mind again right now. "So ... we ask."

Ronon exchanged a glance with Rodney, then nodded. "We ask."

Sheppard pushed aside his untouched mug of ale and stood up. He figured if they were bound to draw attention to themselves, they might as well go big. "We're looking for a man named Kell," he said. "We have some business with him."

There was dead silence in the pub, even though at this hour of the evening the room was packed.

"Ain't no Kell here," came a voice from the bar. The bartender glared at them. "Best be leaving now."

John started to argue, but he saw a few of the larger men in the pub get to their feet. A bar fight would actually feel pretty good at the moment, but it wouldn't help them find Teyla. He nodded to Ronon and Rodney, and the three left the pub, walking into the dim street.

"That went well," John said. "Do we have a plan?"

Ronon stared past John's head. "Maybe we ask them."

John turned to find a group of about five men headed their way. "They do look like knowledgeable guys, don't they?"

There was total silence as the two groups of men faced each other. Everyone else in town had suddenly decided that they had somewhere else to be besides this street.

"Hey fellas," John said cheerfully. "We're looking for the Kell family. We want to ... buy some stuff."

"Maybe they don't wanna sell to you," the man in front of Rodney said.

Sheppard exchanged a glance with Ronon, but before either of them could do a thing, Rodney struck with a rather impressive right hook.

McKay looked shocked, then went down like a rock as the man punched him back.

Ronon grinned and slammed into two of the men.

John looked at the guy in front of him and shrugged. "When in Rome," he said, ramming his fist into the man's nose. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw McKay stagger back up and kick one of the men in the balls. With a grim smile, John threw himself into the melee.

They might've been outnumbered, but it took only a few minutes for the three of them to reduce their assailants to a bloody, cursing pile. Ronon pulled Rodney's opponent out of the heap and shoved him against the wall of the pub, holding a knife to his neck.

"Kell?"

"Northwest of the city," the man said quickly. "They have a whole spread out there."

Ronon nodded and let go. He jerked his head at Sheppard and McKay and took off down the street, headed for the puddlejumper, which they'd left just outside the town.

"So," John said once they'd reached the jumper. "That was too easy."

"Easy?" McKay said. "Are you kidding? Look what that guy did to my face! My jaw is practically broken."

"They're expecting us," Ronon confirmed.

"Well, I'd sure hate to disappoint," John said. "Let's go get Teyla."

TBC

_OK, kinda a shortish part, but we've only got one more part and an epilogue to go. I'll post them as soon as the beta reader is finished with them. :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Eek! I just realized that was wiping out all my space dividers, so the different sections were running into each other. I'm so sorry! Hopefully I've fixed it this time. :)_

**Part Six**

John moved through the strangely-still yard. It was the middle of the night, but he knew they were expected, so where were all the guards?

He glanced at Ronon as they crept around the barn behind the house. Rodney was nearby in the cloaked Jumper as backup. Sheppard knew the whole situation was a trap; it wouldn't hurt to have a few surprises of their own.

Sheppard began to head into the barn but stopped when Ronon laid a hand on his arm. Ronon shook his head and pointed at a smaller stone building nearby. John wasn't sure what it was -- maybe a storage facility of some kind -- and he had no idea why Ronon cared about it.

Then he saw the guards. Two of them, dressed in dark clothing and carrying guns, slouched along the wall.

He exchanged a glance with Ronon. It was too easy. Way too easy, but they had to start somewhere.

They each took one of the guards, knocking them unconscious as quietly as possible.

Ronon looked around the yard, then nodded at the stone building. "You check this out, I'll look for more guards."

John thought about pointing out that he was the one who was giving orders, but he agreed with the plan. If Teyla was in this building, he wanted her out now. And he wanted to get her out himself. He nodded, and Ronon pulled the door open for him, aiming into the empty hallway.

Before John could even go inside, Ronon vanished around the side of the building. John entered the hallway, P90 at the ready, and pulled the door shut behind him. It was only a small hall with a door on either side. One oil lamp provided a little light, but John switched on the light on his gun anyway.

The first door led to a room packed with boxes. He took a moment to look inside one of them; it was full of rifles. He thought about snitching a few guns but decided he didn't want the extra weight. Cautiously, he re-entered the hall, but it was still empty.

Swallowing hard, he tried the other door. It opened easily, and he huffed out a breath of relief at seeing Teyla stretched out on the floor. He scanned the room quickly with his flashlight, but they were alone.

He shined his light on Teyla. Her arms were bound behind her back, and the light showed dried blood and bruising on her face, neck and arms; her shirt was ripped open in the front.

"Teyla?" he whispered, in case Ronon hadn't been able to take out all the guards.

She didn't answer.

He studied Teyla, finally realizing why her stillness was so unnerving.

She wasn't breathing.

John stepped forward quickly. "Tey -- ah!" he yelped as his legs were kicked out from under him. Teyla rolled to her feet in a flash and stopped, about one second away from stomping on his head.

"Uh, hey," he said, out of breath.

"Colonel?" Teyla staggered back, dropping onto the cot behind her.

John got to his feet. "Are you okay?" He couldn't stop himself from touching her, just a small brush through her hair.

"I ... " Teyla sighed. "Perhaps you could cut my bindings?"

"Oh, yeah," John pulled out his knife, mentally cursing himself. The bindings were some kind of thin rope, and he sliced through them carefully. After Teyla pulled her arms forward and rolled her shoulders, he gently took her hands in his, frowning at the marks on her wrists.

Wincing, she pulled her hands away. "I was unable to free myself," she said.

"You were doing a pretty good job of freeing yourself even without --" he froze, hearing a sound from the hall.

The door creaked open, admitting a thin young man carrying a lamp and a knife. He looked a little surprised to find himself eye-to-eye with a P90.

"It is okay," Teyla said, getting to her feet. "I believe Galen has come to free me."

"Galen?" John scowled. "Wasn't this the guy --"

"No!" the guy backed up against the wall. "I didn't do anything. M-my sister --"

"His sister is the one who arranged all this," Teyla said, rubbing at her wrists. "She seems to have a grudge against Ronon."

"Well, yeah, because he killed her father. I'd be a little pissed, too."

"No," Galen said. "Lee's glad father's dead. She always wanted the business anyway. Ronon refused to marry her, years ago. She's hated him since. This was just her excuse."

"You gotta be kidding me," John said. "All this because Ronon rejected her? She couldn't just --" He was interrupted by the sound of gunfire.

"She has several men waiting for him," Galen said.

"We must go," Teyla said. "He needs backup."

"Oh, we've got backup," John said, tapping his radio. "McKay, you see anything?"

"Six or seven men. They've got Ronon pinned down by the barn."

"Maybe you should show yourself?" John suggested. "But don't shoot anyone."

He paused for a moment and shrugged out of his jacket, handing it to Teyla. "Here." At her blank look, he waved his hand vaguely at her ripped shirtfront. "Uh, your shirt, ah --" He cleared his throat.

It was hard to tell in the lamplight, but it looked like she was blushing. "Thank you, Colonel." She slipped the jacket on and started to roll the sleeves up. It was way too big for her, but it covered her up. John mentally kicked himself for not thinking to bring her fresh clothing.

When Teyla was done, he handed his sidearm to her. "Let's go."

Rodney's appearance had evidently surprised them; all the gunfire had stopped by the time John exited the building. Sheppard spotted Ronon hunched behind some kind of farm equipment, the Jumper hovering in midair behind him. Across the yard he could see a few men scattered behind whatever cover was available.

He nodded to Teyla behind him in the doorway. "Take Galen, head to Ronon. I'll cover you."

He trained his P90 in the direction of the house, but nobody so much as dared to peek up at them as they ran toward the barn. Once they were safe, he followed. Still, nobody fired at him.

It was probably wrong that he found that disappointing, but he was fighting a powerful urge to shoot someone.

"Report," he hissed, frowning as he realized Ronon had been hit. He was bleeding from a place on his upper arm. "You okay?"

"A little mad," he answered, baring his teeth. "Galen."

"R-ronon," the man stuttered. "It wasn't me; it --"

"Analee," the Satedan nodded. "She's the one who shot me. I'd like to return the favor."

"As would I," Teyla said shortly. "But perhaps we should leave."

John glanced at Teyla, wondering what happened to her. He thought of the ripped shirt and what that might mean, then pushed it away to think about later. But now he really, really felt like shooting someone.

"Teyla, you and --"

"They won't stop," Ronon said. "She'll just come after me again."

"Well, you know what they say about a woman scorned," Sheppard said.

Ronon looked at him blankly.

"Hell hath no fury ... never mind. Point is, you hurt her feelings, and now she's trying to **kill** us."

"I what?"

"Hey, what's going on down there?" McKay's voice made Sheppard jump. "Should I shoot now?"

"No shooting, McKay."

"Is Teyla okay?"

John looked at her again. "She's going to be fine, if we can get rid of Ronon's psycho ex-girlfriend."

"Wait. What?"

"I'll fill you in later. Just stay up there and try and look menacing."

"Menacing. Right."

Sheppard stared at the ground for a moment. If Ronon was right, and this woman was going to try to come after him again, they needed to handle the situation now. He didn't want Teyla in the line of fire again.

"Ronon Dex!"

They all looked up at the sound of her voice. Sheppard looked to Galen, who nodded. This was his sister.

Ronon looked at Sheppard for orders. John nodded.

"Analee."

"You killed my father," she called. "I have the right of retribution under Satedan law."

"Doesn't really count if you have six or seven men backing you up." Ronon glanced at Teyla. "Or if you harm my friends."

Teyla laid a hand on his forearm, and Sheppard fought back the urge to pull her away from Ronon. He told himself to get a grip. If she even had an inkling of what he was thinking, she'd kick his ass into next week.

"I propose a fight," Analee said after a moment. She sounded like she was closer to them now, and John made sure his weapon was ready. "I'll call off my guards, and you call off your ... ship. I will kill you myself."

Ronon rolled his eyes but pushed to a standing position. "You've always had an inflated view of your fighting skills."

"Wait." Sheppard grabbed Ronon's good arm, then activated his radio. "If any of them move, McKay, shoot 'em."

After some negotiation, they formed two lines; six of Analee's men on one side, John, Teyla and Galen on the other with the jumper backing them up. Ronon and the woman stood in between, holding knives. One way or another, the fight would end the dispute.

Sheppard felt like he was watching "West Side Story." "If Ronon starts singing, I'm outta here," he muttered.

"It's a movie," he started to explain before realizing that Teyla wasn't even listening to him. In fact, she wasn't even watching Ronon and Analee circling one another. She was scanning the men on the other side; Sheppard realized that's what he should be doing, too. This bunch hadn't really been all that trustworthy so far.

"One is missing." She said it so quietly that it didn't register at first, but John understood what she meant immediately. If one of the guards was missing, then the whole situation was probably another trap.

"You sure?"

She nodded grimly, and he pushed back a wave of anger. It had to be the one who hurt her.

Sheppard started scanning the area, toward the trees and shrubs around the house. Casually, he clicked his radio on. The men on the other side weren't paying attention; they were all laughing as Analee managed to slice into Ronon's good arm. "McKay, we're missing a bad guy. See anyone?"

"There might be someone behind the well to your right," Rodney said finally. "I can't tell for sure. I don't suppose you can check the life signs detector without them noticing."

"Well on the right?" he muttered to Teyla, watching as Ronon scored a hit across the woman's belly. It had to be shallow, though, because it didn't slow her down a bit.

Teyla stared at the well. Then she nodded. "Someone is there."

Sheppard tightened his grip on his gun, considering his options. Analee was either ensuring that Ronon would die if he killed her, or, more likely, she was planning to have her man shoot him during the fight.

Analee nearly connected with Ronon again before he danced out of her way, smirking. Sheppard shook his head. Ronon was **playing** with her. He could have taken her out four or five times by this point. He didn't think the Satedan was going to kill her, though he supposed he should've cleared that up ahead of time, but dragging this fight out was only going to make things worse.

When Ronon met his eyes, Sheppard jerked his head. _Finish it._

Ronon nodded, then attacked. Sheppard turned slightly toward the well and saw Teyla was doing the same. The dimwits on the other side didn't seem to notice anything. Sheppard thought a couple of them were even hoping Ronon would win.

Ronon cut Analee's forearm, then grabbed the wrist of her knife hand and squeezed until she dropped her weapon with a sharp cry. Deliberately or not, he had placed Analee in between himself and the well, so Sheppard felt free to keep his eyes on the other men. None of them seemed inclined to step in on behalf of their employer.

"Stop!" Galen stepped in. "That's enough. All of this is enough."

"I told you to stay--" Analee started, breaking off as her brother yanked her away from Ronon.

"**Enough**, Lee," Galen said.

Sheppard was so impressed at seeing him stand up to the sister he obviously feared, without stuttering, that he momentarily forgot the possibility of a shooter by the well.

Teyla hadn't forgotten.

Ronon jerked and went down as a bullet slammed into his shoulder. Teyla was somehow halfway to the well, firing as she ran. Sheppard caught up to her a moment later. She was holding her gun on a man who was collapsed on the ground, bleeding from wounds on his side and one leg. Teyla looked like she had a death grip on her gun as she kicked the man's rifle away.

"You all right?" he asked, trying to keep an eye on Teyla and the man.

"Ronon?"

"He got hit in the shoulder. Should be fine if we get him back quickly." She was still staring at the man on the ground. A quick glance told him that Galen had everything under control over there. The men seemed to be taking orders from him, and Analee wasn't even bothering to argue. Then again, Ronon was standing there menacingly, staring at her and bleeding. John mentally kicked himself for allowing himself to be distracted. He'd handled this whole situation wrong from the very beginning. Two members of his team were injured, and he blamed himself for both.

"You know this guy, Teyla?"

"We are acquainted," she said shortly. One hand pulled away from the gun and drifted to her midsection, gripping the jacket she still wore over her shirt. She didn't seem to notice. She was still staring at the man curled up on the ground, clutching his side and speaking -- cursing, probably -- in a language Sheppard had never heard.

This bastard had hurt Teyla. Tied her up, beat her ... and possibly more. John barely resisted the urge to kick him in the head, but he made his voice as normal as possible as he gently touched Teyla's shoulder. "Go help Ronon. I got this."

Pulling back, she took a deep breath and nodded. With one more look back at the thug, she went to Ronon.

After she was out of earshot, Sheppard leaned down. "You hurt her?"

The man didn't say a word, but his smirk certainly wasn't a response to being shot twice. Sheppard imagined filing a report of an accidental P90 discharge into this guy's head. The man shifted, and Sheppard waved his weapon. "Please reach for your gun. I would love to shoot you."

While not seeming too bright, the thug wasn't as dumb as that.

oOo

"Are you okay? I wanted to be, you know, down there, but Sheppard thought I would be more valuable in the jumper, and I --"

"I am fine, Rodney," Teyla said, shooting a small smile at John. He couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you for your assistance. Now. Should we not get Ronon back to Atlantis?"

"Yeah." Sheppard stepped up to both of them. "We better get you both ... home." He nodded at Ronon. It wasn't quite an apology, but it would do for now.

tbc

_Just the epilogue to go, folks ..._


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

He waited until late.

Most of the expedition was asleep -- if they weren't on duty -- but he somehow knew Ronon would be awake.

Teyla, despite having a couple of cracked ribs and exposure to some unknown drug, had managed to sweet-talk Carson into letting her spend the night in her own room. Ronon, with two gunshot wounds and a knife wound, wasn't as lucky. Or he didn't quite have Carson wrapped around his finger like Teyla did.

Sheppard passed Carson's office, where the doctor was still hard at work, even in the late hour. He reminded himself to talk to Elizabeth about getting Carson to take some well-earned time off. He could mention it to Cadman as well, if he wanted to play dirty.

Sure enough, Ronon was sitting up in bed, frowning at a laptop computer.

"Hey."

Ronon looked up. "Sheppard."

"So ... whatcha doin'?" _Yeah, that's right, John. Put off the apology until the last possible moment._

Ronon frowned again. "Dr. Weir loaned this to me." He turned the screen around, and John laughed as he saw solitaire on-screen. "I can't win it, but I can't stop playing."

"Yeah, it's like that," John agreed. "So, look. I don't like being lied to. I need to be able to trust the people I've got watching my back. But --"

"I --"

"Let me finish," John snapped. Damn, apologizing sucked. "I want ... I **need** you guys to trust me like I trust you. But I was too hard on you before, and I'm sorry. I hope ... I'd like it if you would stick around."

Ronon nodded. "I'd like it, too. And I'm sorry I lied." He stared intently at the screen as he mumbled the rest. "I was afraid you would make me leave if you knew."

"So, we're cool?"

The Satedan smiled faintly. "Well, I am, anyway."

John smirked. "You've been spending way too much time with McKay."

One apology down, one to go.

oOo

He spent an hour and a half the next morning looking for Teyla. She wasn't in her room, the gym or the cafeteria, and a check of the records confirmed that no Jumpers had left for the mainland all day.

Finally, he hit the jackpot with a random check of balconies. He stopped for a moment, scanning the sky with a slight smile. He never got used to having a view like this outside his door. Given the popularity of balconies around the city, he couldn't be the only one.

"Teyla."

She jumped at the sound of his voice, and he winced. When had he ever been able to sneak up on her?

"Colonel. You startled me." She smiled faintly and turned her gaze back to the ocean. "I was ... deep in thought."

"I, ah, I've been looking for you all morning." he said. "I wanted to, you know, check on you."

"I am sorry," she said. "I was with Dr. Heightmeyer. And I spent some time with Ronon as well. I am ... fine. A bit sore, but I will heal."

"Good." He stood next to her and wrapped his fingers around the railing. There was something he wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure he wanted the answer. He'd nearly asked Carson, but he figured the doctor couldn't tell him anyway. Same with Dr. Heightmeyer. "Teyla ... that guy on Belsa. He ... did he hurt you?"

She didn't ask him which one. "A few cracked ribs," she said. "As I said, it will heal."

He cleared his throat and turned toward her. "But did he ... dammit, I don't know how to ask this. Your shirt was ripped, Teyla. I can't stop thinking that maybe --"

"No." She turned to face him, too. "He did not rape me, if that is what you are asking. He did threaten ..." her eyes dropped to his shirtfront.

"Bastard," he choked out. "I should've killed him."

"In cold blood?" she asked, throwing his words back at him.

"Look, I've already apologized to Ronon, and I owe you an apology, too. I haven't been through what he's been through, or you. I don't have a right to judge that. But you guys have got to be honest with me. To trust me."

"I do trust you, John," she said. "I would never have left my people if I did not."

He nodded. "You were right about one thing, though. I hate lying to Elizabeth."

She smiled. "I know the feeling."

"So ... there's something else I've been wondering about," he said, trying to sound casual. "It's probably just a rumor or something. But is there something, you know, going on with you and Ronon? I mean, he was just really worried about you. It seemed ..."

Teyla laughed and turned back to the view.

"What?"

"He said the same thing about you."

_Interesting._ But still not a direct answer.

Teyla laughed again, then leaned closer, apparently taking pity on him. "No, John, I am not sharing a bed with Ronon."

"Good." At her raised eyebrow, he tried to cover. "Personal relationships can really complicate the team dynamic."

"Ah," she nodded. "Like yourself and Dr. McKay."

"Yea--huhwhat?"

She smiled innocently. "I heard a rumor."

"About me and McKay? That's crazy! Where did you hear that?"

"Perhaps from the same person who told you I was sleeping with Ronon."

_Right. Point taken._

He cleared his throat, "Uh, speaking of McKay -- who I'm **not** sleeping with, by the way -- he was going to bust Ronon out of the infirmary and meet us in the kitchen. He has a secret stash of ice cream he's decided to share."

Her eyes lit up. "Rocky road?"

"Double chocolate brownie. You'll love it," he promised. He took hold of her arm, steering her gently toward the door. "C'mon, we'd better get there before those guys eat it all."

"But ... I have not yet had lunch."

"Teyla, Teyla, Teyla. I think you're missing the point. Ice cream, then lunch."

She shook her head, but she didn't fight him on it. Suddenly she stopped, jerking him to a halt. "John."

His hand was still curved around her arm, and he was so close. Close enough to kiss, which was not what he needed to be thinking about at the moment.

"Thank you for saving me," she said.

He nudged her gently toward the door. "Hey, anytime," he said lightly. "If you're really grateful, you can let me have your share of the ice cream."

A raised eyebrow was all the answer he got.

The End

_OK, folks, that's all she wrote. Thanks so much for reading, and those of you who took time to leave a review made my day. Thanks a bunch. :)_


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